ABSTRACT
The paper presents a new approach of simulating various post-seismic evacuation scenarios for people in Iaşi city, Romania, by using a multiagent system. The emergency scenarios consider that a key point of Iaşi road network may become non-functional because of structural damage, and may interrupt the evacuation process. Thus, the population groups modelled by agents are impelled to look for alternative routes. A comparison between the prior- and post-seismic event situations is presented. The focus is on the effect of the amount of information the agents have about their destinations, i.e. shelters or hospitals: the way in which the evacuation time decreases as more information becomes available. Some emergent, and sometimes counterintuitive outcomes are discussed. The results can be considered to serve as an evaluation scheme of the post-emergency situation for the considered locations. The use of agents facilitates the finding of appropriate solutions that reduce the population’s evacuation time.
